WITH petrol prices at an all-time high, it’s lucky F1 star Lewis Hamilton isn’t short of a few quid.

But the motor racing ace is now gearing up for the most lucrative ride of his life.

He has been signed by Simon Fuller – the man behind Brand Beckham and the Spice Girls.

And with the new Grand Prix season about to rev off, Lewis, 26, is being lined up as the next global sporting superstar, with a raft of money-spinning advertising and marketing deals in place.

Just as 19 boss Fuller has guided David and Victoria Beckham’s careers, so Lewis can look forward to becoming a brand in his own right... and a billionaire.

A source said: “This deal has been on the cards for years but has finally happened. Both parties are thrilled. Simon believes that Lewis has the looks, talent, marketability and appeal to become the biggest sporting icon in the world, knocking Tiger Woods off his perch.

“Just as David Beckham is assured of a life outside of football once he retires, and Victoria’s post-Spice Girls career as a designer has flourished, so Lewis has been given a long-term life plan outside of F1.

“Any number of sponsors would love to be associated with him, and Simon is currently wading through prospective offers, seeing what best fits his new client.

“If he continues racing for another 10 years, there is every chance Lewis will become the first billionaire sports star, which Tiger Woods almost, but never quite managed.”

Lewis, worth in excess of £35million, has a headstart on the Beckhams as he is already well-known internationally through the Grand Prix circuit.

It is understood Fuller, 50, is keen to make him a bigger name in the States, where his girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger is already famous from her time in the Pussycat Dolls.

Lew effectively sacked his dad Anthony as his long-standing manager last year. He became the youngest ever F1 champion in 2008, topped the Rich List’s wealthiest young sportsmen of that year but fell out of the top 10 in 2010.